02 January 2004

Good News India ??

What’s happening? I am pinching myself to make sure that I am not day dreaming.

$100 billion; over 8% GDP growth in second quarter; textile sector picking up steam with exports looking northwards; all the pink papers and biz magazines falling over to project revival of manufacturing sector; over all exports hovering in high altitude, notwithstanding strong rupee; India, third largest economy in 2040, says Goldman Sach; BPO continues to be on fast track despite threats from several states in the US;

Good news keeps pouring in?

I guess the BJP leaders must be rubbing their hands in absolute glee – with so much good news about a thriving (!!) economy hitting the headlines, and the elections round the corner. (The cynic in me asks, “or you sure these good news are all not the work of BJP’s brand managers?”)

The news keep flooding in on a nation which – to borrow an expression from a pink paper - is already on a high, what with “India Shining” every morning from full page ads.

And now, what amused me was an ad by Kotak Mutual Funds.

“ While you shop for designer labels abroad the designers are busy shopping here”. The ad copy says. And the supporting illustration has a Sardarji in a mall somewhere in the west buying a garment and another illustration shows the same mall owner buying the same garment from an Indian Tailor.

The ad copy ends: “ So, how can you benefit from all this? Introducing Kotak Global India: Unique opportunity fro every Indian to partake of this potential growth.” And the copy goes on to tell you how the fund’s portfolio will have all the “globally Competitive” Indian companies. This is one opportunity you don’t want to miss out on, given the sheer scale of things to come.” The copy concludes.

Well, next I have started looking out for a board outside Triplicane Rathna Café:

“ Don’t miss today’s special “thayir vadai”. Specially prepared for Export market. Come and taste it while the country’s economy is doing so well. Join the thousands of customers who have benefited by tasting our “thayir vadai” and have drawn their foreign friends to Chennai, for sourcing this special product for Seattle.”